DUBAI // The UAE has been preparing to host Expo 2020 since the first day of its founding, said Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak.
In an address to 250 officials who are visiting Dubai this week ahead of a final vote next month, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development said the country's rapid development was an example of the Expo theme, "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future".
“Dubai and the entire UAE would be delighted to act as your hosts in 2020, should we have the honour of your vote,” Sheikh Nahyan said.
“In a sense, we have prepared for it since our founding in 1971. We have capitalised on our natural resources and our desire to be a global force for prosperity and peace.
“We have sought the advice and assistance of skilled people from around the world and have formed lasting international partnerships.
“We have built a country that plays a prominent role in regional and international affairs – a country where people from close to 200 other nations work and live in peace and harmony.
“Together we have transformed our landscape and provided a safe and stable environment that nurtures imaginative innovation.
“We have strong institutions that make continued prosperity and growth possible.
“We have connected minds and created our future.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, greeted each of the 250 delegates from the Bureau International des Expositions, the awarding body for the world's fair.
“We are ready to host the world in 2020 and we are fully capable of organising the best event ever in the history of this global gathering,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote on his Twitter page.
After a conference in the morning, delegates attended several tours across the country.
One group attended Gitex Technology Week at the Dubai World Trade Centre. A member of that group, who declined to be identified, said signs were good for Dubai.
“I think Dubai has a very good chance,” he said. “It’s a very nice city and everybody is trying to do the best that they can.
“For me Dubai is not a new place, but it has grown rapidly in just a few years. You can say that Dubai is a small United Nations.”
In the evening, a gala dinner was held for delegates with a performance by Julio Iglesias.
At the dinner, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the expo bid, said winning the world’s fair in Dubai would “present opportunities and leave a lasting legacy for all”.
mcroucher@thenational.ae
nhanif@thenational.ae
